Buzz
Vietnamese is incredibly rich and diverse, which we cannot predict. Hence, both our speaking and writing abilities rely on judgment based on existing knowledge. This may yield correct results, but occasionally our judgments are incorrect. For instance, the term 'Taking Office' or 'Assuming Office' below. What do you think is correct between these two terms?
Assuming office and taking office, which one is correct?
1. Choosing between 'Taking Office' and 'Assuming Office', which term is spelled correctly?
Answer: 'Assuming Office' is the correctly spelled term in Vietnamese.
It's not the term 'taking office' as commonly believed, but rather 'assuming office' that is correct. Understanding the meaning of the term will clarify why it's 'assuming office':
* What does 'Assuming Office' mean?
'Nhậm chức' is a term in Sino-Vietnamese, composed of two words 'nhậm' and 'chức'. 'Nhậm' can be understood as assuming responsibilities or duties, while 'chức' here refers to position, duty, or office.
Therefore, the meaning of the term 'nhậm chức' is to hold a position, undertake a certain role assigned by superiors or appointed by consensus, or it can be understood as superiors appointing and subordinates assuming office. This term is synonymous with 'nhiệm chức'.
Examples:
- Inauguration ceremony.
- Assume the position of deputy chief.
* What does 'Assuming Office' mean?
In Sino-Vietnamese, 'nhận' means to receive, accept, or take something. 'Chức' here refers to a position or duty. Therefore, 'nhận chức' can be understood as taking on a position, but this term does not convey the responsibility associated with the assigned position.
However, according to Sino-Vietnamese, 'nhận' means to see, accept, consent, or understand. So, when combined with 'chức', the term 'nhận chức' does not have a specific meaning.
Typically, whenever there is an appointment of officials in the government or elections for leadership positions in the Party, the inauguration ceremony will be reported by the media. Usually, assuming office is associated with responsibilities, so when the inauguration ceremony takes place, it will be accompanied by an oath, pledging their commitment to an organization and the people who trust them.
What is 'Nhậm chức' in English? In English, 'nhậm chức' is written as 'Take up an appointment.'
2. Other Confusing Word Pairs
Pairs causing confusion
Besides 'taking office' and 'assuming office', the following pairs also puzzle many people:
- Sightseeing or tourism => Answer: Sightseeing.
- Diagnosis or standardization => Answer: Diagnosis.
- Revolving or digging => Answer: Digging.
- Cheap or torn => Answer: Torn.
- Free time or Free time => Answer: Free time.
You can find explanations in the Q&A section of Tamienphi.vn for more detailed understanding.
Therefore, between the terms 'assuming office' and 'taking office', 'assuming office' is the correct spelling, 'taking office' has no meaning.
- See also: Free time or Idle time
